Jumping toy



(No Model.)

W. A. WARNER.

JUMPING TOY. Y No. 455,079. Patented June 3o, 1891-.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT Clarion.

'WILLIAM A. VARNER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

JUMPING TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,079, dated J une 30, 1891.

Application iiled March 2, 1891.

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM A. WARNER, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement in Jumping Toys; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,to-bea full, clear, and exact description of the "same, and which ysaid drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a perspective view of a toy frog constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective View of a combined toy composed of two such toy frogs connected together so as to reproduce the game of leapfrog; Fig. 3, a plan view of the combined toy; Fig. 4, a detached view of one of the coupling-links by means of which the two toy frogs are connected together; Fig.' 5, a perspective view of a toy frog constructed in accordance with my invention, but of modified form.

My invention relates to an improvement .in toys, the object being to produce a toy frog adapted to spring or leap from one place to another in the manner of frogs by the application of pressure to its rear part.

Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a toy frog having a body portion and a pair of fore and hind legs, the hind legs being constructed in length and shape to yield under pressure applied to the body portion of the frog and, suddenly recovering, cause the same to leap from place to place.

My invention further consists in coupling two such toy frogs together by means of coupling-links, so that they will leap over one another wheu properly manipulated, and in certain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in. the claims.

As shown by Fig. l of the drawings, the toy has a body portion A, shaped to the form of and preferably properly colored to heighten its resemblance to a frog. A pair of fore and a pair of hind legs made of wire or of narrow strips of elastic Sheet metal, but preferably made of spring-wire, are inserted into the lower face of the said body portion, respectively at the forward and re'ar ends thereof. As herein shown, the fore legs B B are made of wire and bent outwardly and rearwardly and then forupon.

Serial No. 383,417. (No model.)

ward] y, and bent, flattened, and split at their lower extremities C C to simulate web-feet. The hind legs, which are also made of wire, are bent outwardly and forwardly, as at D D, then rearwardly in parallel lines, as at E E, and then forwardly and outwardly, as at FV F, to form feet, whereby they are shaped to conform to a frogs hind legs in preparing to leap, the said extremities F F being flattened and split to simulate web-feet. The fore legs may be made elastic or non-elastic; nor are the hind legs necessarily shaped as described. They may, for instance, be made straight and extended directly backward in inclined positions, as shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings, or they may have still other forms. If desired, they may be coiled to increase their elasticity. They must, however, be made elastic and adapted in length and shape to cause the toy frog to jump from place to place when they recover after being sprung by pressure applied to and suddenly removed from the rear end of the body portion of the toy.

As shown by Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, two toy frogs, made substantiallyas described, are connected together by two links vrespectively placed onv their opposite sides and each consisting of a single piece of light wire shaped to form a long` straight central portion G, two coiled bearings G', respectively located at the ends thereof and extending in the same direction therefrom and at a right angle therewith, and two braces G2 G2, eX- tending from the outer ends of the coils diagonally back onto the said central portion. These links are applied to the outward-eX- tending portions D D of the rear legs of the two frogs, the said portions D D being thereto bent, as at-C C', to form four parallel centers for the coiled bearings G yG to turn If desired, wire links, such as described, may be replaced Aby links made of flat strips of sheet metal, having their ends folded over to form loops to encircle the parallel centers C C formed in the hind legs of each frog, as explained. The links are adapted in length to establish a suiiicient distance between the two toy frogs to permit them to clear each other, so that when pressure is applied to the rear end of the rear frog it will leap over the forward frog which may now be jumped over the frog in front, and so IOO on, in reproduction of the game of leap-frog. The fore legs of the frogs shown by Figs. 2 and 3 are simply bowed longitudinally, and thus show another form which these legs may have given tothem. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but hold myselfat liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I am aware that it is old to make a jumping toy in the similitude of a grasshopper, the under side of the body portion whereof is notched at its rear end to receive the sharpened rear end of a base-piece which is connected at its forward end by a bent and coiled wire attached to the forward end of the body portion, which is also furnished with antennae, which are inoperative so far as either supporting the body portion or assisting in ju 1nping the toy is concerned, the body portion only springing under the restraint of the basepiece. O11 the other hand, both the fore and hind legs of my toy co-operate in supporting its body portion, and it is free to jump without restraint from place to place.

Having fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire Ato secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A toy frog having a body portion and a pair of fore and a pair of hind legs respectively attached to the forward and rear ends of the said body portion and co-operating to support the same, the said hind legs being constructed and shaped to spring and recover when pressure is applied to and suddenly removed from the rear part ofthe said body portion, substantially as described, and whereby the said toy may,.be jumped from place to place without restraint,

2. Atoy frog having a body portion and a pair of elast-ic fore legs attached to the forward end thereof and a pair of elastic hind legs attached to the rear end thereof, said legs being constructed to co-operate to support the said body portion and shaped to spring and recover when pressure is applied to and suddenly removed from the rear part of the same, substantially as described, and whereby the toy may be jumped from place to place without restraint.

3. A toy .frog having a body portion and a pair of fore legs and a pair of hind legs respectively attached to the forward and rear ends of the said body portion and eo-operating to support the same, the hind legs being bent outward, then rearward, and then forward, substantially as described, and whereby when pressure is applied to the rear part of the said body portion and suddenly removed the hind legs will yield and, recovering, cause the toy to jump from place to place without restraint. y

4. A combined toy consisting of two frogs, each consisting of a body portion and fore and hind legs, the latter being bent outward, rearward, and then forward, and two links located on opposite sides of the toy frogs and attached to the outward-bent portions of the hind legs, substantially as described, and whereby the frogs are caused to jump over each other when pressure is applied to and suddenly removed from the rear part of the body portion of the rear frog.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM. A. VARNER.

Witnesses` J. II. ROCK, W. G. ARMSTRONG. 

